The first thing I did when arriving back to the "new" flat from Heathrow two weeks ago was dump the perishable contents of my suitcase into a semi-empty kitchen drawer. Then I stood back to admire it: my own American candy drawer.
I have to confess that I stole this idea from Jodi - well, more like, happened upon her candy drawer while snooping for an extra spoon the last time I was over at her house for dinner. "Wow, Jodi!" I exclaimed, when I found her secret stash of Reese's and other American candy bars. I was fascinated. The drawer was filled to the brim. It was kind of like having a Halloween supply, but 24/7. I wanted one of my own.
Let me itemize mine for you:
Red Vines licorice (not to be confused with Twizzlers) - Purchased from the dollar store (plus tax, of course). When I was a budding prima ballerina at the Dance Annex or whatever it was called in downtown Sumner, the teacher would reward us with one Red Vine at the end of each class, distributed from those giant tubs you can get at Safeway. We could choose from black or red licorice but even biting into them now takes me back to those days, when I was about 4 or 5.
Pretzel Flipz - These are my ultimate American treat. A bit of salty and a lot of sweet, this is my favorite junk food, which I relish in consuming - much to John's disgust. "It's your teeth," he says. "I don't know how they can stand it." Well, they can't. I have like, one root canal and counting, plus like, 8 fillings. There's a reason why.
Pretzel M&M's - I saw these advertised on repeat while I was going through my Real Housewives (that's of Orange County, New Jersey, and New York) binge at home a few weeks ago. By the end, my eyes had turned into pretzel M&M's. The downer is that they're not as good as they sound.
Goldfish S'mores - My mom got these for me. Try this on a Brit: "Do you want a Goldfish? They're s'mores flavored!" Say it in the most enthusiastic voice possible. When they decline, proceed to shove marshmallow, graham cracker and chocolate flavored goldfish crackers down your mouth, while dropping crumbs down the front of your dress. That totally didn't happen.
Reese's Miniatures - Judging from the pastel packaging, my mom bought these when Walgreen's had their post-Easter sale and saved it for my visit in ... June. They're still good.
Hershey's Kisses - Not really a fan, but again, my mom got the Easter edition for me. Keep 'em around for chocolate emergencies. And I mean, emergencies.
Pepperidge Farm Milano Double Chocolate cookies - These are timeless favorites of mine. I've loved them since I was a kid. They're just so perfect and the only crunchy cookie/biscuit I will eat.
Unidentifiable Pepperidge Farm Cookies In Green Tupperware Container - My mom got these for me the morning of my departure because she said my suitcase "still had room for more stuff" (exact quote). They have a raspberry jelly center and John got the package wet like, 2 seconds after I put them on the counter, so I had to put them in a tupperware container. Haven't really touched them since. Sorry, mom.
If you want to create your own American candy drawer (at ten times the price of mine), you can visit Cyber Candy in Covent Garden or Islington for some all-American goodness. Just remember to floss, brush, and rinse afterwards, kids.
